Ep. 596 April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley and Client Technology Specialist, Brenda Colby sit down to talk about National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, Register for Fleet Safety Workshop

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Burley

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brenda Colby

Editor: Jadyn Brandt

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production

© Copyright 2026. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive. I’m your host, Alyssa Burley, and I’m joined by Brenda Colby, Client Technology Specialist with Rancho Mesa, and we’re going to talk about National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

Brenda, welcome to the show.

Brenda Colby: Happy to be here Alyssa.

AB: So, April is National Distracted Driver Awareness Month, led by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration.

So, tell us why distracted driving is still such a critical area of focus today, and what the latest statistics tell us about how serious it really is for drivers?

BC: So, we know from our previous podcast addressing the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary for 2024, transportation incidents are the number one cause of on-the-job fatalities.

And, to add to that, in 2023, the NHTSA reported 3,275 deaths caused by distracted driving. This includes accidents caused by using a mobile phone, eating or drinking, changing the radio station, or talking to passengers.

AB: Okay. And during the month of April, the NHTSA is sponsoring the national “Put the Phone Away or Pay” campaign, which means an increase of law enforcement on the roads from April 10 through the 14.

So, with this increased enforcement, what should companies know about their role in reinforcing safe driving habits among employees who drive during working hours?

BC: Well, educating and reminding your employees of safe driving practices can make a big difference. And most people are already aware that they shouldn’t be using a mobile device while driving, but sometimes those other, less talked about distractions, like eating or changing the radio station, can lead to serious distractions. It’s important to remind employees of all safe driving practices, and how to avoid common distractions. Even just a few minutes of weekly training can help prevent a serious accident or injury.

AB: Yeah and, for employers looking to improve fleet safety, how can tools offered by Rancho Mesa make a real difference in reducing distracted driving incidents?

BC: Well, Rancho Mesa has resources available for companies looking to train new drivers or remind company drivers of safe practices. Driver-specific toolbox talks and online driver trainings are available through the SafetyOne™ platform that can be used as needed to train company drivers.

For employers who have employees that drive company vehicles daily or weekly, Rancho Mesa offers a weekly Driver Safety Toolbox Talk subscription, where each week, subscribers will receive an email containing one of Rancho Mesa’s 52 driver-specific toolbox talks in both English and Spanish.

AB: Alright so Brenda, if listeners have questions about accessing SafetyOne training resources, what’s the best way to get in touch with you?

BC: As always, clients can contact me at bcolby@ranchomesa.com or call me directly at (619) 486-6562.

AB: Alright, well Brenda, thank you for joining me in StudioOne.

BC: Thanks for having me.

AB: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.